Vigoureux printing rollers



Dec. 18, 1962 A. v. M. D'ALCANTAR'A 3,068,789

VIGOUREUX PRINTING ROLLERS Filed April 25, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet l Ammo VM D'ALCANTARA INVENTOR.

19652 A. v. M. DALCANTARA 3,068,789

VIGOUREUX PRINTING ROLLERS Filed April 25, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Am'ouro V M. b ALcANTARA BYM/wlmm, Mil/ M Dec. 18, 1962 A. v. M. D'ALCANTARA 3,068,789

VIGOUREUX PRINTING ROLLERS Filed April 25, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ANTONIO VM. D'ALCANTARA INVENTOR.

BY Mania/ri MM l arm,

estates Patented Dec. 1%, 19oz hce 3,968,789 VIGGUREUX PRKNTENG RULLERS Antonio Vicente l iotta dAlcaniara, Lisbon, lortugal, as-

signer to Ciha Limited, Basel, Switzerland, 2 Swiss Filed Apr. 25, 1957, Ser. No. 655,624 Claims priority, application Switzerland Apr. 26, 1956 2 Claims. (Ql. 101-375) In vigonreux printing there are used printing rollers which have on their surface raised portions which extend in a helical manner across the surface. As the worsted yarn in the form of a sliver, which is generally used in this method or printing, passes between the said roller and a counter-roller charged with printing colour the dyestuff is taken up at the places where the raised portions of the vigoureux printing roller press the sliver against the dyeing roller. After further distortion and during spinning a very desirable melange effect is produced, which cannot be produced in any other manner or not in so simple manner.

For vigoureux printing it is generally necessary to have available a large number of printing rollers, since the proportion of the circumference of the roller occupied by raised portions, which cause the sliver to be dyed locally, varies depending on the melange effect desired and on the dyestufi used. In general there are used rollers which are provided with raised portions for printing over a part of their circumference which is between about and 50 percent of the circumference, and, when it is necessary to apply more dyestuff to the sliver, the latter is passed between two different rollers so that the printing operation is doubled.

The present invention provides a yigoureux printing roller of which at least a part of the helical projecting printing elements are detachably secured to the roller.

The detachable helical elements can be detachably secured to the roller in a very simple manner by means of plates screwed to the ends of the roller. The ends of each helical element may be provided with a thickened portion which projects inwardly towards the roller axis and, for example, projects beyond the edge of the roller or fits into a groove at the edge of the roller.

In one form of the invention the plates for detachably securing the helical elements are mounted on the ends of the roller by a strong screw clamping means and carr radial slits at their edges, and advantageously a very large number of such slits. Screw-threaded bolts at the ends of the helical elements, and preferably in thickened portions at these ends, engage within the radial slits in the end plates. The fixing may be further strengthened by somewhat flattening the screw-threaded bolts of the helical elements at the places where they engage the slits in the end plate.

Instead of screw-threaded bolts, there may be provided at the ends of the helical elements laminar projections formed, for example, by the insertion of strip steel, which projections engage correspondingly narrow slits in the end plates.

In another form of the invention the end plates, which are advantageously mounted by means of screws, are provided with slots arranged in the form of a broken annulus through which the screw-threaded bolts of the helical elements pass.

In some cases it may be of advantage to fix the end plates by means of suitable, for example, left-handed screws in such manner that after the helical elements have been inserted and fixed in position, the plate can be moved slightly away from the roller so as to tension the helical elements.

It will be understood that a vigoureux printing roller in accordance with this invention need not have any fixed helical elements and that all the helical elements may be detachable. As, however, there is usually a certain minimum printing surface .ratio (ratio of printing surface to non-printing surface) of about 1:10 Or 1:20, it is generally preferable to provide on the roller fixed helical elements, for example, distributed uniformly over the roller surface, the area of which corresponds to the minimum printing surface ratio and to arrange the detachable helical elements between the fixed helical elements and distributed uniformly or non-uniformly or symmetrically or asymmetrically over the roller surface,

Examples of vigoureux printing rollers constructed in accordance with the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which K FIG. 1 is a general view of a vigoureux printing roller having a number of fixed helical elements. The details of the end plates are not shown as they appear in other figures.

FIG. 2 shows a part of a detachable helical element.

FIG. 3 is an axial longitudinal section on an enlarged scale through the righthand end of a printing roller, and two detachable helical elements are shown.

FIG. 4 is an end view of a printing roller in which a segment of the securing ring is partially cut away.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of another form of roller having fixed helical elements.

FIG. 6 shows a part of a detachable helical element.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an end plate for the roller shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a crosssection taken on the line aa in FIG. 7.

FIGS. 9ll represent diagrammatically various arrangements of detachable helical elements.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show a further modification.

The roller shown in FIGS. 1-4, and especially FIG. 3, has a shaft 11 and a body portion 12 which is fixed to the shaft by means of two connecting members 13 one of which is shown in FIG. 3. Fixed helical elements 31 (see FIG. 1) are permanently secured to the body portion 12 of the roller. Upon the body portion 12 and connecting members 13 there are end plates 15 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 3) which are held in position by screws 16 and nuts 26. The end plates are provided at their periphery with a plurality of teeth 21} defining between them radially extending slots 29a. The larger tooth 2G1) lies over the end of a fixed element 31. The detachable helical elements 39 have at their ends a thickened portion 29 in which are provided screws 21 and nuts 22. The screws 21 are flattened, as shown at 25 in FIG. 4, at the places where they engage in the slots 20a. The roller 12 has a groove 23 at each end thereof into which the thickened portions 2? fit. The end plates 15 and screws 21 together constitute securing means for the helical elements 3%.

As shown in FIG. 3 the screws 16 have a normal righthanded thread 17 for the nut 2d and a left-handed thread 18 which is screwed into the connecting member 13, and also have a spacing collar 19. When a screw 16 is turned clockwise by means of its square end (see FIG. 4), the end plate 15 is moved away from the roller and the detachable helical elements 30 are tensioned. If desired, the nuts 22 may be permanently connected by soldering to the screws 21 and the latter may be likewise permanently connected to the thickened portions 29, or a similar engaging means may be formed in one piece or built up integrally by welding. When all the desired detachable elements 30 have been inserted, a securing ring 23, which is subdivided into three segments, is placed over the end plate 15 and fixed in position by means of screws 24. The securing ring 23 engages the toothed portion 29 and thus protects the teeth against being accidentally bent in the direction of the tension of the helical elements, and it also prevents the helical elements from becoming disengaged from the toothed portion.

In FIG. is shown a printing roller having a shaft 41 and body portion 42 and also fixed helical elements 43. In FIG. 6 is shown a part of a detachable helical element 44, which has a thickened portion 45 at its end, to which a screw 46 is fixed. The end plates 47 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) have a central opening 48 to receive the shaft of the roller, holes 49 for thescrews which secure the end plate to the roller, and slots 50 arranged in the form of a broken annulus to receive the screws 46 on the detachable helical elements.

As can be seen from FIGS. 9-11, various arrangements of the helical printing elements 39 and 31 on the roll are possible. FIG. 9 is a schematic sectional view of the roller 12 showing six fixed helical elements 31 thereon. It will be seen from this figure and FIG. l0that the cross sectional shape of the helical elements 39 and 31 is substantial, and that it is possible to place one of the elements 36 in a position on the roller such that it is against one of the fixed elements 31. In FIG. 4, the screws 21 on the ends of such a helical element would be placed in the slot 26:: immediately next to the larger tooth b. In the arrangement of FIG. 10, an element has been placed immediately next to three of the six fixed helical elements. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. ll, it is possible to place the elements 30 at points spaced from the fixed elements 31, which would involve placing the screws 21 on the ends of the element in one of the slots 20a in FIG. 4 which is spaced from the larger tooth 2% by at least one slot 20a and one tooth 20. It will thus be seen from FIGS. 10 and 11 taken together with FIG. 4 that the securing means secure the helical elements 30 around the periphery of the ends of the roller at distances which are at the least equal to the dimension of the element in the peripheral direction of the roller, and at the most at distances which are integral multiples of this dimension of the helical elements.

FIGS. 12 and 13 show a modification of the construction shown in FIGS. 1-4 for fixing the detachable helical elements to the roller.

Instead of the screw-threaded bolts shown in FIG; 2, the ends 61 of each helical element 60 are provided with laminar projections 62, for example, by inserting a piece of fiat strip steel or similar material into a .slot 63 and fixing the laminar projection in position, for examplegby welding or soldering. The projections 62 fit into the 7 slots in end plates 65. The helical elements are secured against turning by means of a cover plate 66 which, like the securing ring 23 shown in FIG. 4, may be divided up, for example, into three segments. After the helical elements have been inserted and secured in position, they can be tensioned by tensioning screws 67, which are mounted in a connecting member 69 by means of a lefthanded thread 68. The cover plate 66 is held in position by screws 74). The tensioning screws 67 are provided with nuts 71.for adjusting the end plate 65 when the helical elements are mounted asymmetrically and the printing roller is therefore loaded on one side.

7 A vigoureux printing roller constructed in accordance with the invention has numerous advantages. Apart from the fact that one printing roller and a few easily interchangeable helical elements cover all those arrangements which have hitherto necessitated the .use of a plurality of printing rollers, there is the further possibility.

with the printing roller of the present invention of ar-' ranging the printing projections on the roller asymmetrically, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11.

results, because in some cases vigoureux printing gives too uniform a melange, where a less uniform print would In certain cases asymmetrical arrangements produce especially desirable 4 be desirable. It is obvious rthat the stock of ,vigoureux printing rollers required to include such asymmetrical arrangements would have to be enormously increased. On the other hand, the present invention enables an asymmetrical arrangement to be subjected to preliminary tests in a very simple manner in order to determine whether it gives the effect desired. By virtue of the ease with which the helical elements can be interchanged any undesired efiect can be immediately corrected until the desired efiect is obtained.

A further advantage lies in the simplicity of the fiXing means, such as screws or guide slots, which ensure reliable fixing of the detachable spirals and need little manipulation for the purposes of readjustment.

What is claimed is:

l. A printing roller, particularly for vigoureux printing, comprising a support roll, a plurality of helical printing elements, said elements each having a middle portion with a substantially rectangular cross section and two end portions, one at each end, a plurality of securing means located at both ends of said support roll individually engageable with said helical elementsin a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said roll and permitting removal of individual printing elements in a direction radially of said roll, and said middle portion having exterior cylindrical and helically'curved printing stirfaces, said securing means being positioned aroundthe periphery of the'ends of the roll at distances which are at the least equal to the maximum dimension of the 'middle portions of said helical printing elements in the peripheral direction of said roller and at the most at dis-.

tances which are integral multiples of the maximum di-' mension of the middle portion of said helical printing elements, whereby said printing elements can be secured on said roll so as to be distributed uniformly or nonuniformly or symmetrically or asymmetrically over the roller surface.

2. A printing roller, particularly for vigoureux printing, comprising a support roll, a plurality of helical print:

ing elements each having a middle portion with a substantially rectangular cross section and a portion at each end thereof projecting toward said support roll, securing means at each end of said support roll-and comprising a plurality of securing members on each of said portions individually engageable with said printing elements in a direction substantially parallel to the axis of said roll and permitting removal of individual printing elements in a direction radially of said roll, and plates attachable to the ends of said support roll and having slots therein in which said securing members are engageable, said slots being around said plates at the least at distances which are equal to the dimension of said middle portion of said helical printing elements in the peripheral direction of.

said roll and at the most at distances which are integral multiples of the dimension of the middle portion of said helical printing elements, whereby said printing elements can be secured on said roll so as to be distributed uniformly or nonuniformly or symmetrically or asymmetri.

cally over the roller surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS sp-a a; 

